


Keep on Loving You

by Trash_Princess215



Series: Loving You Wasn't Supposed to be Easy [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, How Do I Tag, Reveal Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-08-16 11:33:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8100850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash_Princess215/pseuds/Trash_Princess215
Summary: Sequel to Learning to Love AgainMarinette Dupain-Cheng has done what few fangirls will ever accomplish. She's dating her celebrity crush. Blissfully happy that they lasted the entirety of summer break, she can't help but wonder what will happy when they start school together? In the end will she able to keep her secret identity intact?





	1. The Beginning of Us

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So so sorry for the late delay in writing but here it is! I do have a rough outline in mind if you want more and I hope you enjoy!  
> I do not own Miraculous Ladybug and all that jazz.

               "Ladybug! What do you have to say about your relationship with Chat Noir?!" she heard from the scream of reporters and journalists her best friend Alya's voice. Of course, Alya didn't know that the focus of her blog dedicated to the one and only Ladybug was really her best friend in disguise, but that's neither here nor there.

                "Nothing of course, I got me another lady I love. Ladybug is merely a good friend that I just happen to defend the city with!" Chat laughed, answering the question before she could even open her mouth to reply. Marinette inwardly marveled that the change Chat had gone through. He was so hardly like his old self that she sometimes wondered if this was all some odd extended Akuma attack. But he still cracked the same stupid puns that only Chat could make, so she supposed it still had to be him. Though ever since that night on the Eiffel Tower, Chat became almost...professional. Not that she minded the lack of flirting of course, but if she was being honest with herself she really did miss the banter they used to have.

                Plus, she really wanted to meet the girl that had captured all of Chat's affections. She must be very patient to have to put up with so much flirting and puns. That was like 90% of his personality. Or maybe she was a very flirty pun master. Thinking about Chat Noir's personal life was just weird to do, and she decided to think of her own love life instead. She gave in inward squeal.

                "I'm dating Adrien Agreste!" she wanted to scream it from the rooftops, on every roof in Paris. Especially Chloe's. They had a bit of a rocky start in the beginning but everything was perfect. Not perfect, not perfect, not perfect. She repeated the mantra to herself because she had learned her lesson on that one. The most imperfect bit was that only a very select few knew they were dating and after all the struggle they went through, she wanted the world to know that the one and only Adrien Agreste was taken. She had done what very few girls had managed to do: become the girlfriend of their celebrity crush. She felt a blush spread across her face just thinking about Adrien. He said it was cute that she still managed to blush even after almost 3 months of dating.

                "I must be doing something right," he would joke after every make out session whenever they pulled away for air. She was always tomato red and breathing heavily. She felt like an asthmatic lobster, but if Adrien said she looked beautiful then who was she to complain? If he was into asthmatic lobsters then by all means, she would exploit that to that to the best of her abilities.

                Discreetly checking the time from one of the nearby clock towers, she gave a small inhale and tried to wrap the interview as fast as she could. She was going to be late for her date with Adrien, and she needed all the time she could get with him. When he announced to his father that he was dating, he at first threw a fit and gave Adrien loads more work and extracurriculars to do. After all, if he found the time to date then surely he could do more work? She didn't understand it herself but Adrien said that it was pretty par for the course with his dad.

                When she and Chat had finally wrapped up all the questions, they both gave a distracted wave and ran off in opposite directions. Marinette headed into a secluded alley and transformed back to her regular high school student self and shook out her hair. Akuma attacks managed to tangle her hair like nothing else, even when it was put back. And Adrien did love to run his hands through her hair...

                Shaking herself out of her daydreams, she ran back to the park where they always hung out. Adrien was already waiting for her, looking slightly disheveled if you looked close enough. He probably ran here to see me, she thought with a smile and walked over to him.

                "Adrien! I've missed you," Marinette pouted and tried to give Manolo's sad puppy eyes. Surely if they worked half as well on her boyfriend as they did on her...

                "We were in a video chat for hours last night!" Guess not.

                "Yeah, but we haven't seen each other in person for WEEKS," she argued.

                "What can we talk about in person that we can't do over the phone?"

                She stood on tiptoe and kissed the corner of his mouth, "I wasn't thinking of talking actually."

                She smiled at the faint blush across his cheeks and was pleased that she wasn't the only one who got unsettled. "Marinette! We can't. At least not in public."

                "But whhyyy?"

                "I don't want to drag you into the spotlight just because you're my girlfriend. I'd rather the paparazzi know you as the best fashion designer of our times, not as Adrien Agreste's latest fling."

                "I'm only a fling? Thanks for letting me know 3 months in," Marinette joked.

                "Well, we know that we've been dating for that long but the paparazzi doesn't."

                She gave a huff and sat down on the park bench. While she did want Adrien to have his privacy for himself and so that they could do couple-y things in public like everyone else could, she was always grateful to the paparazzi when a new candid photo of her beloved was published. And of course Adrien had a point.

                "Wanna play some videogames? I have a feeling I can finally beat you today." Adrien's question pulled her out of her reverie and she gave a scoff.

                "As if, Adrien. I'm the reigning champion and you know it."

                "You won't even let me win?"

                "Or you could get good."

                "Ouch. You wound me, Marinette." Giving a shrug, she took off and ran to her house and rejoiced when she saw that Adrien had also started racing. She always marveled at how athletic he was, she was pretty sure that the only exercise he got was fencing and perpetually standing for modeling. He hid it well under his t-shirt and clothes but he was actually QUITE muscular. Marinette sometimes drooled every time she got him to take of his shirt. Could she be called boy crazy if she was only crazy about her boyfriend? She was certainly crazy about him before they started dating. In all her distractions, and by god Adrien was a hot distraction, she had lost the race to her door stoop by several feet.

                "You're losing your touch Marinette! Are you sure you'll be able to beat me after such a rousing defeat?"

                "I'm sorry, but I was too busy thinking about how hot my boyfriend is shirtle-Hi, mom!" And it was always at the most inopportune moment that her mom had to round the corner to enter the bakery.

                "Hello, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," his smile was trying very hard to be polite and nice but ventured dangerously into smirk territory. Noticing that her arms were full of groceries, both reached out to take some of the load though of course Adrien took the lion's share.

                "Oh hi Marinette. And Adrien! Nice to see you again, Marinette has been positively mopey since the last time you came over. Do you want to stay over for dinner?"

                "I'd love to! I was thankfully able to clear away my schedule so I could spend the rest of the day with Marinette. And of course I couldn't miss a dinner with the finest chef in all of Paris!"

                "Flattery will get you nothing except extra desserts, Adrien dear," her mother smiled and headed inside.

* * *

 

                Marinette flung off her comforter and looked anxiously at the clock. It was the first day of school and she was convinced that she was already late, classes were already over, she had already failed all her classes. Then her eyes focused on the clock. It was 2 hours before she had to leave.

Falling back into bed, she pulled the pillow over her face and groaned. She was far too excited to go sleep. She’d regularly see her best friends, her boyfriend-she furrowed her brow. If Adrien was this worried about them being found out now, what would they do during school when they had all the same classes? Or during akuma attacks?

Getting out of bed, Marinette started pacing. One thing she always loved about Adrien was that he often made sure people got to safety when an akuma hit. But that was when they were only kinda sorta friends. What about when it’s a girl he liked? Collapsing into her desk chair she gave out another groan. “Tikki, why must I suffer?”

Her kwami zoomed over to her desk and nudged her head, “What is this time, Marinette?”

“I was just thinking about Adrien-”

“Of course,” Tikki interrupted.

“As I was saying,” Marinette gave a glare, “What about when an Akuma hits the school or something? Adrien’s always been concerned about everyone else but I’ve managed to slip away thus far. Do you think it’ll be harder now that we’re dating?”

“Oh. That’s actually a good question. But I’m sure you can handle it!”

Marinette stood up about gave a mutter about useless kwamis and fell back into bed. She spent some more time worrying about it before inevitably falling asleep.


	2. (Almost) All is Revealed?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette and Adrien's classroom hear some very happy news...well, mostly everyone is happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all you readers out there putting up with me! I just got a new job so hopefully I can concentrate more on writing than job searching. Plus the job but whatever.   
> I do not own Miraculous Ladybug nor made any profit off of it.

               “Marinette, you’ve pressed the snooze button 6 times already!” Tikki yelled in Marinette’s ear and nudged at her head. Opening her eyes slowly, Marinette blinked drowsily and gave a small yawn before looking at the alarm clock. And then her yawn became a scream and as she flailed to get out from beneath the covers she fell to the ground. And Marinette had become impossibly twisted within her comforter.

                After she won the battle to get free, Marinette ran all across her room to get ready in a mad dash to get to school on time for once. Grabbing a croissant to eat on the way to school and only stopped for a kiss from her Mama and Papa.

                Of course she was late but her heart gave little tremors as she saw that Adrien was waiting on the steps for her. Her face split into a giant smile and ran to give him a hug. “I figured you’d be later even on the first day of school,” he joked. He looked around and bent down to give her kiss and Marinette’s knees buckled. Once they broke apart, she was gasping for breath and her face felt like it was on fire. Asthmatic lobster would soon become her signature look if he kept doing that.

                Adrien slung his bookbag over his shoulder and called out from the doorway, “You might want to take a minute to compose yourself there, my lil lobster.” Marinette gave a glare to his back but inwardly agreed that there was no way she could go into class like this. She was already late so what was the point in rushing to get there?

* * *

 

                Adrien whistled out a tune as he made his way to homeroom. One day she would be the death of him, no one had any right to look that adorable. She joked that she looked like an asthmatic lobster but she didn’t know how precious she looked. The red all over her face merely enhanced the blue of her eyes and made them stunning to gaze into. He’d stare them all day if he could. And the heaving of her chest made him think of some very, very naughty things.

                Being too caught up in his thoughts of his girlfriend, Adrien didn’t notice the atmosphere of the room until he sat next to Nino. Who was gazing very peculiarly at him.

                “You couldn’t even tell me, bro?”

                At Adrien’s confused look, Nino’s eyes shifted to some space over Adrien’s left shoulder. He turned around and flinched at the paper thrust into his face. “He means this, Adrien-kins! Someone photoshopped this picture of you and Marinette kissing!” Chloe continued ranting on the cruelty of the press but Adrien didn’t pay attention to her and yanked the magazine out of her hands. Sure enough, there was a picture of him and Marinette at the park the other day from when she kissed him.

                “Daddy says he can sue the photographer for slandering you so cruelly, Adrien-kins,” Chloe pouted as she leaned obviously onto the table to show off her cleavage. Naturally grown or bought, he wasn’t sure.

                He took a breath and looked her in her eyes. “It’s true.”

                “What?” several people remarked, including Nathaneal. Surely he didn’t still have a crush on Marinette? Glancing at his face and noting his disappointment, it filled him with determination.

                “Yeah, we actually started going out around the start of summer break.” Steeling himself for any backlash, Adrien was surprised when several cheers went up in the room and not a small number of _finally!_ ’s.

                “My man! Thought you couldn’t seal the deal and you were dating all that time?” Nino gave him a hug and looked genuinely proud.

                “You can probably ask Alya why she also didn’t tell you,” Adrien joked. Nino whipped his head around to look at his girlfriend who was trying very hard to not look in his general direction. Adrien was so caught up in the moment that he didn’t even notice the classroom door opening.

                “Marinette!” Chloe shrieked, distracting him from the revelry.

                Looking like a deer caught in the headlights, Marinette gave out a tiny squeak that sounded approximately like a “Yes?” No doubt confused on how she had already deserved Chloe’s ire.

                “Is it true?!”

                “Is what true?”

                “Marinette, don’t you lie to me. Are you, or are you not dating Adrien Agreste?”

                Realization dawned on her face and her eyes flicked over to Adrien. He gave a small nod and Marinette smiled. Squaring her shoulders, her entire demeanor changed. “Yes, I am. Though I have no idea why that would be any kind of business of yours, Chloe.” Confidence rang through her voice and Adrien thought it sounded oddly familiar.

                Chloe began sputtering and Lila stood up and marched up to Marinette. “It’s my business because he’s mine.”

                Marinette merely raised an eyebrow, “I don’t recall him asking you to be his girlfriend Lila. You know, how he asked me out? I would know, I spend an awful lot of time hanging out with him this summer.” Lila glared at her and stomped off back to her seat.

                Adrien watched with pride at how his girlfriend took down both the horrors; though in the back of his mind he worried about the pair of them becoming akumas together. Truly a horrifying thought.

                When no one else challenged her, Marinette strode over to her usual desk and sat next to Alya. He looked up at her and held out his fist for a fist bump. It was second nature whenever Ladybug took down a villain that when Marinette did the same she got a fist bump too. She returned it and he mentally added the “Pound it!”. It would probably be seen as too much of a coincidence that he and Chat Noir did the same thing the exact same way. He was rather surprised that all it took was a change in hairstyle and a mask for everyone to not realize who he was. He might even know Ladybug!

                “Dude, why are you laughing?” Nino asked, nudging his shoulder.

                “Just thinking of something that's never going to happen.”

                “True. I do that sometimes.”

                “Sorry about not telling you by the way, we wanted to keep it quiet in case it didn’t work out. But Alya was a terror and nobody could keep a secret from her.”

                “Oh, I understand. But you cut me deep bro, cut me real deep,” he joked. Nino looked like he was about to add something else but then their homeroom teacher finally ordered class to start. He seemed disorderly and very lackadaisical about both attendance and order. Adrien smiled, he could definitely use that for when akumas attacked.

* * *

 

                “Hey, Marinette!” Alya smiled and gave Marinette a hug once she got in her seat. They quickly recapped on what they did over the summer and the magazine article. Alya was the only other person who had known besides their parents because Marinette was terrified of keeping information from her. Plus, it would’ve been extremely difficult to keep such important news from her and she probably wouldn’t have been able to keep quiet even if she tried.

                “So now I guess you two are finally public!”

                “I know! I wish we could’ve let more friends know first rather than have been papped.”

                “Poor Nathaneal looks like someone kicked his puppy.”

                Marinette tried to see out of the corner of her eye and agreed with Alya. “Yeah…I just hope he doesn’t become an akuma again!” Marinette whispered.

                “I think Lila and Chloe would beat him to it, to be honest.” Alya joked and pointed out the two of them with her pen. Angling her phone camera, she noticed that they both look more enraged.

                “Uh, if all 3 of them became akumas again…”

                “School would be out for a week while Ladybug and Chat Noir waged epic war against them.”

                “Ugghhh.” Marinette face planted onto her head on the table imagining the horrific monstrosities that she would have to go through taking down 3 powerful akuma.

                “I’m sure you could go visit your grandparents in the country while they battled each other. It wouldn’t have to be like when your house was nearly destroyed,” Alya tried to reassure her, but the secret identity thing often just sometimes blew chunks.

                “Lemme get your attention for a bit…” Their new homeroom teacher announced to everyone and spared Marinette having to come up with another lie. She smiled wide when she realized that their attendance was being taken a full 20 minutes after class should’ve started and how very disordered and unfocused he was. He probably didn’t like the earliest class period as much as they did. She was fully going to exploit this as Ladybug. And as Marinette.


	3. Red Hot Ladybug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone loves that Adrien is finally dating Marinette...except for a certain two classmates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the really late update but actual disasters have occurs that have prevented me from updating including a broken laptop...which had the only copy of this story.

“But Marinette, how did you possibly get that lost after that akuma attack? You live in the area,” Nino was asking during lunch. Now that the whole school knew they were together, she had taken to cuddling up with Adrien during lunch hours. She has been informed many times that they were so cute together.

“I don’t know, just really bad at directions?” Marinette joked and changed the topic. Living as a superhero was getting increasingly difficult as she was dragged further in the spotlight as her civilian form. She laughed at the thought of Adrien  trying to do her work. He couldn’t possibly do all his stuff plus saving all of Paris! 

“You have yet to see how Marinette can be, she got lost in my house once. For over half an hour. Natalie eventually found her exasperatedly swearing at the food in the pantry.”

“The fact that it took over half an hour to search your entire house should prove how big it is. It is very easy to get lost in your house, Adrien.”

“Well, that is actually a good point,” He laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of her head . Marinette gave a warm smile and a small giggle. Everything was going perfectly.

“So I was thinking…study group again this year? I tried to do homework alone and I couldn’t. I miss you guys.” Nino admitted and crumbled part of his pastry.

“Same actually. Marinette, you’re the only one who can explain history to me!” Alya bemoaned to her best friend.

“And I’m lost on math with you Alya,” Marinette cried melodramatically. They dramatically hugged and their table laughed at their silly antics. Yeah, life was pretty perfect.

* * *

 

Chloe crushed her bottle of tea in rage. Marinette with her perfect life and perfect boyfriend…She could go on about how she much she hated her. She had everything come to her so  easily and then just snuck up and got Adrien all to herself. Though on the bright side, Lila had become an unlikely ally.

“Same. I wish that bottle neck was hers,” Lila spat venomously. They trash talked Marinette and everyone else that they didn’t like, which was a vast list. Sabrina quietly excused herself and went somewhere else to sit. They didn’t care to see where.

“What’s up with her?” Lila asked, angrily.

“She can’t bitch at people  really. She usually just listens when I do and nods along. It’s so good to have a bitch partner. She’s just a minion really.” Chloe sneered before glancing back over at the goody two shoes foursome. “But anyway, we cannot allow them to stay together.”

“You know it’s the study group they have.”

“Plus Alya and Nino are both their best friends. If we split them apart, maybe they won’t hang out altogether anymore?”

“Chloe, you are an evil mastermind,” Lila gave a Cheshire cat grin and they began plotting together.

* * *

 

The window opened up and cast the sunshines' rays to illuminate upon Hawkmoth’s face.  Butterflies flitted around him before settling back down upon the floor.  He gave an e vil chuckle and watched his two favourite akuma victims plot together.

“Truly a masterful combination. So much anger and hate, so perfect as  akumas . But if they were akumatized together, they could definitely bring Ladybug and Chat Noir to their knees! Then I will finally get their  miraculouses ! ” He gave out another chuckle, “They have yet to see the last of  Volpina and  Antibug ! Not yet, but soon.” The window closed again and the room went dark once more.

* * *

“Hey Ladybug, you wanna hang?” Chat joked when at one point Ladybug had gotten stuck in her own yoyo and hanging from the gargoyle of an old cathedral.  


“Chat! Get me down from here and stop making jokes!” Marinette cringed at how poor her performance as Ladybug was going. 

“Anything for you,  m’lady !”

“Oh, Chat Noir!” 

Marinette turned off the television. Whoever came up with a television  programme based on her and Chat deserved to be dragged out at dawn and shot. Particularly when the entire romance was based on her and Chat Noir. Or that  their portrayal of Ladybug was a very busty and very blonde 20 something old woman.  Who needed help with every single little thing until it was time for the lucky charm. And practically clung to Chat Noir at every moment possible.

She angrily turned back on the TV. She had done this routine every single week when it came on but could not bring herself to stop watching, it was like a  trainwreck . Her very most problematic  fave .

“Oh Chat, you must know that I’ve always loved you!” Ladybug and Chat Noir kissed passionately atop the Arc de  Triomphe . Marinette turned off the television again. Feeling restless and a bit irritable, she turned into Ladybug and swung around aimlessly and occasionally waving to civilians.

“Didn’t enjoy  Red Hot Ladybug ?”

Scanning the rooftops for the source of the noise, her eyes landed on Chat Noir. 

“Oh Chat, save me. Oh Chat, thank you ever so much for being so tough and strong. I, a mere woman, couldn’t do anything by myself.” Ladybug gave a very poor imitation of the woman’s voice and batted her eyelashes incessantly. Then pretended to gag.

“I had a feeling. Though I do like who they casted as Chat Noir. Strong, dark, and rugged. And very handsome. They got that bit right.” Chat smirked.

Ladybug laughed and felt a pang in her heart. They hadn’t been anything but partners in crime for months. Not since the Eiffel Tower. She missed him surprisingly enough.

“0/10, not enough puns. Not realistic enough.” 

“Oh how very true. Who would you rather prefer?” Chat pointed to a random billboard, “Maybe Adrien Agreste can break into acting, what do you think?”

Marinette’s face flushed completely, turning her the color of her suit. “He is very attractive,” she sighed to herself. Chat gave a strange sound and nearly toppled off his baton that he was balancing on.

“But I bet he’s all face though. Not even able to rub two brain cells together.” 

“I’ll have you know that he is rather smart!”

“And how would you know that, Ladybug?” He peered in closer to her face with a rather odd look in his eyes.

“I-uh-He looks like he is. You can see it in the eyes.”

“Huh,” was Chat’s only response.

“So what brings you out here, Chat?”

“Patrols obviously, I had a bit of free time and my girl wasn’t picking up her phone.”

“Maybe she’s too busy watching  Red Hot Ladybug.  I’d certainly prefer that Chat Noir too.”

“You wound me, Ladybug. Truly.  But I know she hates it. I’m definitely her favorite kitty. Especially in bed when-” 

“I’m leaving!” Marinette swung back home in her usual circuitous manner to be sure that nobody could follow her . Once she landed back into her room, she transformed back into her usual Marinette self. She looked around for her phone and realized that she had left it downstairs after watching the TV. When she went down the stairs to fetch it, she saw that her father was in front of the television, on the edge of his seat. The ending theme song to  Red Hot Ladybug soon filled the room. 

When he noticed Marinette on the stairs, he quickly turned off the television and stood up. “I will not apologize for enjoying quality shows.” Marinette nodded and got her phone off the couch.

“Of course Papa, I wouldn’t ask you to.”

Looking down at her notifications, she noticed a few missed calls and texts from Adrien. She had apparently missed his only free time of the day. Hanging her head low, she went back upstairs to finish her homework.


	4. Make Outs and Make Ups

“Now Adrien, you knew I was the reigning champion. And yet you decided to challenge me anyway?” Marinette gloated after another consecutive victory on Ultimate Mecha Strike III .

“What if I gave some encouragement for you to perhaps, be a little less good?” Adrien flirted, his eyes hooded as he drew in closer.

“You’re a sore loser and would resort to bribery to win? How shameful,” Marinette teased before picking up the controller again to start another match. She felt Adrien’s hand on her cheek and turned back to face him again. He pressed his lips to hers and she quickly forgot all about winning. They kissed until they both ran out of breath.

“No?” Adrien asked again, his voice husky and a few octaves lower than normal.

“Yes,” she mumbled and they began kissing again, even more passionately before. It felt like a drug and  she couldn’t get enough. Adrien’s hands went from cupping her face to skimming her sides before he drew her in closer. Since they were sitting in desk chairs, Adrien pulled her into his lap. Once Marinette had been settled into position, that being straddled across Adrien, they continued on. 

Adrien’s hands firmly grasped onto her hips and began a gentle roll upwards. Marinette found she rather quite liked the sensation and pushed against him in time.

“Marinette, I appreciate the enthusiasm. I really do,” Adrien broke away with a rather pained voice. “But uh, I’m almost at the end of my self-control here. Marinette please stop grinding there.” Marinette’s hobbies included designing clothes, saving Paris, and torturing her boyfriend on a regular basis. In the most fun way possible.

“B u t Adrien, I’m having so much fun,” she breathed into his ear and licked the shell of his ear. He gave out a strangled moan and stood up.  Marinette simply wrapped her legs around him and was carried to bed. Adrien eased her down.

She stretched languidly and rolled onto her side, “Draw me like one of your French girls.”

“You are my French girl.” Adrien had shed his button up shirt hours ago and was now taking off his t-shirt.

“Hnngh.” Marinette’s eyes trailed over the biceps and abs and in a daze reached out to touch. Adrien’s skin was hot to the touch. She got on her knees on the bed and used both her hands to roam the planes of her boyfriend’s chest. Skimming in some places while others required much more thorough exploration. Marinette bit her bottom lip as she kneaded Adrien's biceps and trailed lower to his hands. She gave a small nip to his finger before swirling the bitten area with the tip of her tongue.

Adrien grabbed both her wrists in one hand. “Now Marinette. Darling. If you continue to do that, I’m going to have to return the favor.”

Marinette maintained eye contact with Adrien and slowly lifted up her shirt . His eyes were appreciative as he looked her over as well, particularly the swells of her breasts, which were panting heavily. She reached around to undo the clasps of her bra when the ground started shaking.

“Earthquake?”

Adrien ran to the window and groaned. “Akuma. It looks like twins. Very, very large twins.”

“Shit.” Marinette threw her shirt back on and tossed Adrien’s his. Before Marinette got to the bottom of the stairs she ran back up to get her purse. The purse where Tikki promised to hide with few cookies. Hopefully they hadn’t been eaten by now. 

Adrien was back in her room after she grabbed a few cookies and stashed them in her purse. “Forgot my shirt.” Marinette ran back down and Adrien soon followed. They ran outside after making sure that her parents and everyone else in the bakery had evacuated.

As soon as Adrien’s back was turned to help a couple of old ladies to their car, Marinette ran to an alley. She felt bad ditching Adrien, but Ladybug would just have to make sure he was safe instead.

“ Tikki, transform!” Once she was transformed into her super persona, she ran back to see Adrien calling for her. 

“She’s safe, now get on. I can finish from here!” She called to Adrien before swinging through the rooftops trying to catch up to the twins. They were both dressed identically and the only difference that one was clothed completely in green and the other in blue. Judging by the pigtails, Ladybug assumed they were girls.

“Double the fun, Ladybug!” Chat Noir yelled, running beside her on the rooftops.

“We’ve never had to do two  akumas at once before, this is going to be rough.”

Chat gave a nod and started to try to attack one of the giant’s in their blind spot. But just before his attack could hit the other swiped him like a bug. Ladybug winced as Chat was knocked to the street.

“Are you alright?” She yelled running to him. She breathed a sigh of relief when he got up, albeit with a loud and pained groan. 

“I’ve been better.”

“It seems like they’re covering for each other, so we’ll have to both distract them.”

“I call the blue one, it’s personal.” He glared up at their retreating figures while they continued to wreak havoc on Paris.

“And make sure to see what their akuma is. Unless they were each given one, they probably share it.” Ladybug called while Chat ran off, probably to seek his revenge.

While Chat ran on recklessly, Ladybug studied. Unfortunately, there were no glaring differences in their appearances, but nothing was ever that easy. “If you can’t tell the difference far away, you just  gotta get closer,” she mumbled to herself and took off to catch up with the green twin.

“Who are you?” she yelled. People, especially villains, loved to talk about themselves. Hopefully they were the same.

“I’m Mindy! And she’s- ”

“Mandy! They won’t ever keep us apart!” The blue twin called out in response.

“Well I can certainly try,” Chat screamed in frustration after Mandy had swiped him off once again.”

“Chat! Reconvene!” Ladybug shouted, narrowly dodging Mindy’s giant hand. It was close, Mindy’s hand was about the size of her house. Chat picked himself out of the sidewalk and huddled close in alley. It was partially collapsed and debris laid everywhere. 

“Ladybug they are destroying the city. We’ve never had akuma this strong before.”

“Don’t you think I don’t know that? It must be because there are two of them,” Ladybug mused and tried to think of any disadvantages to having two akuma instead of one.

“It seems hard to turn them against each other, they’re twins,” Chat frowned and looked back at them.

“But they are still siblings, so surely they still fight?”

“No fair, I was going to destroy that building!” They had started to bicker.

“Oh, thank God.” Chat sighed and kneeled down to started blessing all the gods known in existence.

“This is not the time for religion, Chat!” Ladybug hissed and dragged him up to his feet. “Now you get out there and make them fight each other. I’ll see about finding the akumatized item.” Chat saluted and was on his way to annoy, his specialty.

“I think green would look better on you, Mandy!” Chat called.

“Probably, we are  twi -”

“That one dress looked rubbish on you.”

“You only said that because you wanted it!”

“Hey girls! Girls, I’m sure that you could always just trade wardrobes,” Chat smiled. Ladybug  facepalmed , he wasn’t supposed to be fixing their problems!

“No way I’m wearing her clothes! She’ll just stretch them out !”

“You’re just jealous that my boobs came in faster than yours!” Chat turned back to Ladybug with a giant grin and a thumbs up. Ladybug rolled her eyes and noticed something. Mindy and Mandy never opened their left hands. She’d never noticed since they had a propensity for punching buildings.

“Chat! We need to get them to open their hands!” Chat nodded once and got to work. “Lucky charm!” She pulled out the charm out of the air. It was a giant spool of wire. 

“What am I supposed to do with- ohhh ,” she trailed off, when looked at their stamping feet.

Running to the fight, she tied the  end around a nearby column and crossed her fingers that it would hold. Ladybug then grabbed the spool and began to run it around their feet who were thankfully screaming in each other’s faces. Well, thanks to Chat still egging them on. After she used almost all of the wire, she pulled and prayed they didn’t pull back. 

Once they lost their balance, they fell almost immediately. But not before they threw out their hands to keep from falling. Chat snatched the falling objects out of the air on the way down and handed them to Ladybug.

Chat frowned as he handed them to Ladybug. It was a two halves of a picture of a mother and father with two twin girls. It had been split down the middle.

“We fix  akumas not families, Chat.” Ladybug said sadly and tore it again. Once the black butterfly was released, she caught it in her yoyo and de- evilized it.

“Pound it,” they smiled while sharing their customary fist bump. 

"Nino! Why exactly are they draped over you?" Ladybug heard Alya screech somewhere nearby. Running over to her, the picture quickly became clear. 

"I don't know! I threw Lila out of the way of a falling pillar and they both started pawing at me!" Nino said disgustedly and tried to to shake off Lila and Chloe hanging on either side of him. 

"You weren't trying this hard earlier," Chloe cooed and ran her hand down Nino's chest. He looked uncomfortable and tried grabbing her hands but couldn't handle them both hanging off them. Alya turned on her heel and stamped off with a huff. Marinette ducked behind a pillar and transformed back to normal and was about to intervene when a voice called out to Nino.

"Nino! There you are, I'm glad you're safe," Adrien ran in smiling. "You promised we check out your new game, let's go!" As Adrien dragged him away, his eyes caught with Marinette's and nodded his head to where Alya had run off. Marinette nodded and ran after her.

* * *

"I can't believe she couldn't trust me!"

"Uh-huh."

"I told her what happened and she didn't even look like she believed me."

"Jealousy is an awful thing."

"But now she isn't even answering my texts or calls!"

"She will once she's cooled off."

"Adrien you aren't letting me rant properly and it's pissing me off."

* * *

"And how dare they just drape themselves on my boyfriend?!"

"We already knew they were awful."

"And we didn't try to get them off of him!"

"He tried very hard but they're like weasels."

"Marinette, for the love of god, let me rant."

"No."

"But what if he liked it?" Alya wailed.

Marinette sat on the bed next to her friend and put her arm around her shoulder. "I'm going to be completely honest with you here, Alya. Are you ready?"

Alya sniffed and nodded her head.

"He looked absolutely disgusted even after you left. You should've seen his face when Adrien managed to drag him away!"

Alya gave a deep sigh and leaned her head on Marinette's shoulder. Then stood up abruptly and started packing up her things. "I have to go apologize, I'll tell you about it later."

* * *

"So how'd it go last night? You never did tell me," Marinette asked as she sat down for homeroom. Alya flushed a bright red and looked away shyly.

"Good morning the apple of my eye, the love of my life-" Nino announced loudly as he entered the classroom.

"That well, huh?" Marinette looked back at Alya who had flushed an even deeper red.

"Dude, move. You're blocking the classroom." Adrien scolded and pushed Nino to his seat.

"I have great news for you, my dude! Right after you left, me and Alya-" Alya leaned forward and smacked the back of of Nino's head. "we-uh made up! Better than ever!"

Marinette leaned to the side, "Did you do it?" she asked in a hushed whisper. Alya nodded, her face returning to normal. 

Nino and Adrien looked like they were having a similar conversation until Adrien exclaimed "Congrats!" and gave a fist bump to Nino who was looking particularly smug. 

* * *

"They made up," Chloe said flatly to Lila, her new seatmate. Who knows where Sabrina was now, she had bigger plans.

"Ugh, I was hoping Alya the hothead would just break up with him. "

"Remember, Marinette is our real target. Keep sight of that." 

"True. So our first plan has failed," Lila muttered darkly.

"Not only that, it backfired. Trying to drive a force between them only made them stronger. We need to be even stronger than that."

"I wish we were akumas again," Lila groaned and flopped her head onto the table.

An idea dawned upon Chloe, a wonderfully awful and splendid idea. "I have a plan but we have to wait until after school."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll do a chapter of Alya and Nino's make up and afterwards if there's enough interest :)


	5. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Chloe and Lila's plans are revealed and Marinette has a date with Adrien

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a liar. There is no regularity to this schedule.

"Now Lila, how did you feel before you got akumatized?"

"Angry. Hurt. Embarrassed." She crossed her arms and toed the soft dirt with her shoe.

"I was the same. So all we have to do is concentrate and feel it again. Then Hawkmoth with turn us into akumas again!" Chloe exclaimed with a smirk. "I need you to concentrate on how angry Ladybug makes you."

Lila looked up from her shoes and and gave a short laugh. "I can do that just fine."

* * *

Hawkmoth grinned from ear to ear. It was the first time any of his victims had come back to him and perfectly willing to be used by him. He sent out 2 of his specially made butterflies, the ones he had been working on ever since Chloe and Lila teamed up. It had taken many nights of concentration and hard work to make the first one, let alone repeating the process.

"Go forth and turn them to evil!" The pair of butterflies, these with more translucent wings and paler purple veins. They flew from the window used the breeze to float down. They touched down and landed on Chloe and Lila, still concentrating on fueling their anger.

Once they were affected, they both stared vacantly into the distance and awaited orders.

"We want to make Adrien dump Marinette and then take Ladybug's miraculous." They announced in unison. Hawkmoth's grin widened even further. This is going to be even more perfect than he

imagined.

"Antibug, Volpina. I formulated these butterflies especially for you. You will hear everything I tell you and have your powers while keeping your regular appearance. Nobody will know you've been akumatized. Not until you want them to at least."

They both nodded and were given further instruction.

* * *

Lila sat in class and glared at Marinette. Pointing her finger at Marinette's bag, she made an illicit love letter appear. Then watched it disappear. She had been trying, and failing, to make illusions like she had as Volpina but being in her normal appearance made her powers weaker than they had been before. Furrowing her brow, she tried harder than ever to make a convincing love letter appear in Marinette's bag. After giving herself a massive headache, she willed one into being. And it stayed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she returned to paying attention to the homeroom teacher but glanced at the letter poking out periodically. Checking to make sure that it had stayed, but it didn't move. She poked Chloe in the arm and wrote down a plan in the margins of her notebook. Chloe nodded once and pulled out her Antibug yoyo. It was smaller, and the wire was almost invisible if you didn't know to catch the light bouncing off it.

The bell rang and while Marinette was packing up her bag, Chloe pulled her yoyo and right before Marinette passed them, she flicked her wrist and line wrapped around Marinette's ankle. Then yanked the string right as Marinette's wrapped leg stepped down to the next stair.

"Oh!" Marinette gasped as she sprawled across the classroom floor, her bag fell off the steps and landed in front of Adrien. Lila and Chloe tried very hard to not pay attention to what happened next but both inhaled sharply and held it with trepidation.

Adrien picked up the bag and the fake letter fell to the floor. Lila and Chloe both gripped each other's arms. "To Chat Noir, from your admirer Marinette? I didn't know you were such a fan," he laughed, neither of them noticing the faint blush tinged across his cheeks.

"Don't be ridiculous. That's not even my handwriting," Marinette joked as she peeked at the letter in Adrien's hands.

"I love you more than Ladybug ever could-aren't they dating other people?" Adrien asked offhandedly before stuffing it back in Marinette's bag. "We can look at it more at lunch. Nino will certainly get a kick out of it."

Chloe slowly turned her head towards Lila and the grip on her arm tightened into a vise. "What was that?" she asked in a low hiss.

"I can't do illusions as good as Volpina! It was hard enough to make it concrete," Lila wailed. She pushed up her bangs, "See! I burst a blood vessel concentrating on it."

Chloe pulled Lila closer and stared menacingly into her eyes. "Try. Harder." Once she finally released Lila, she stormed out of the room. Lila rubbed her arm, sure there would be bruise, and packed up her bags quietly.

"It doesn't get any better," she heard a whisper but only saw Sabrina quietly leaving the classroom.

* * *

Nino and Alya loved the letter and read it aloud several times, most often with dramatic voices.

"It's like if Red Hot Ladybug wrote it." Alya laughed and with a little kick of her feet.

"People actually enjoy that show though. This is purely for comedy." Nino pointed out and took the letter out of her hands to read over it for the umpteenth time.

Marinette pouted, "I'm glad you're enjoying this so much. But why would someone plant this in my bag?"

"Probably jealous that you're dating me," Adrien flexed his arm that wasn't wrapped around her shoulders and grinned. Marinette's slid over to where Chloe and Lila were sitting then shook her head. It wasn't fair to assume they did everything. Plus she never saw anyone touch her bag.

"But why Chat though? Seems like such an odd choice," Alya mused. She laid her head on Nino's shoulder. Ever since they made up, they had become even more comfortable with affection and bodily contact.

"I don't know," Marinette tilted her head and furrowed her brow, "Chat Noir isn't even my type." Adrien coughed up the juice he had just taken a swig of. Nino pounded him on the back until the coughing subsided.

"Uh, wrong pipe," he muttered weakly.

* * *

"You're going out tonight?" Papa Dupain asked, his eyebrow arched as he peered over his paper.

"Adrien has the night off so we're taking advantage of the time while we can."

"You look beautiful, dear! Did you make that dress too?" Marinette's mother wiped her hands off on her apron as she stepped out of the kitchen.

Marinette twirled and showed off the full skirt. "Of course, I've been working on this one for awhile."

While Marinette and her mother were talking about dressmaking, the doorbell ringed. Shooting up out of her seat, Marinette ran to open the door and gave Adrien a kiss on the cheek.

"You look beautiful."

"You too," she smiled up at him while she smoothed down his lapels.

"I'll have you know I am extremely handsome. None of this beautiful nonsense."

Adrien waved from the doorway, "Hello, Mister and Missus Dupain-Chang!" He then took Marinette's arm and led her down to the waiting limo. Since the news had broke that they were dating, there wasn't much need to hide anymore. Plus Marinette found that wearing her own designs got much more exposure than ever before.

Marinette gazed out the window and tapped her fingers on her lap in time to the music. "What's up, Marinette?" Adrien asked.

"Just...thinking."

"What about, my adorable lil lobster?" He gave a small smile and cupped her cheek in his hand. Marinette leaned in and smiled back.

"Nothing. Everything. I don't really know," her smile dimmed before turning back to the window.

"Hey, are you okay? We don't have to go out if you don't want to. Nothing wrong with pizza and sweats instead of a dress and 3 course meals."

"Hmm, tempting. Very tempting, honestly." Marinette furrowed her brow, "Can we? I'm sorry, I know how much you were looking forward to this."

"Marinette, I was looking forward to seeing you, you doof."

"Driver? I'm sorry, can you drive us back to my house?"

"No problem, Mr. Agreste."

"Marinette took Adrien's hand in hers. "I'm sorry, I was feeling fine earlier."

"I already said it was fine. And I personally prefer cuddling you in comfy sweats than eating at a fancy schmancy restaurant."

"Remember when that paparazzi shot a camera flare right in your face?" Marinette giggled.

"Which one? I can remember hundreds of those."

"The one where you went blind and tried to put pasta in your cheek."

"Ah, now that one I do remember. Thankfully there was nothing about that in the tabloids. I'd hate to think that people think I don't know how to eat."

* * *

"What movie do you want to watch?" Adrien asked, surrounded by a huge pile of movies.

Marinette stepped out of the bathroom, devoid of makeup with her hair in a messy bun. Wearing one of Adrien's old tshirts that was now too small for him and a pair of sweatpants that hung low on her hips. "Disney."

Adrien beamed at her. "You look beautiful."

"Nah, I'm comfy."

Adrien frowned. "Well, I think you're always beautiful. I love you." After a beat, both of their faces turned bright red. After another, Marinette launched herself at him until he was pinned down between her thighs.

"You what?"

"I love you, Marinette," he smiled warmly.

"I love you too," she repeated, her voice ending in a slight hitch. Adrien grabbed the back of Marinette's neck and pulled her to him until their lips were almost touching.

"Say it again."

"I love you," she responded breathlessly. Then finally Adrien kissed her. When they finally pulled apart for air, Marinette snatched a DVD from the pile.

"We're watching it."

"Marinette, we've seen Tangled a million times."

"It's gonna be a million and one then. And you're singing with me."


End file.
